Beginners start here...

You want to get onto the net, right? You've seen all those TV ads with weird addresses in them and you're tired of listening to your younger relatives rave about their all night chat sessions on-line. It's all very confusing, though - what's the difference between the net and the Web, for example? Well, while the World Wide Web is a major component of the net, it's just a fraction of the possibilities the net offers for communication.

How does it work?

The Internet is a global network of computers linked via telephone cables and optic fibres. Some of these computers are constantly connected to the Internet while others just drop in for a visit. Every computer permanently connected to the net stores (or hosts) a bunch of information which can be accessed by other net users.

To get to that information, you need to link your computer to another one which is already "online" or a part of the Internet. You can link two computers together with a cable, which is common in an office, or through a telephone line, which is what happens when you connect to an Internet Service Provider from home. While you are connected to that other computer, you become one of the millions of computers that make up the Internet.

What's an Internet Service Provider?

An Internet Service Provider is a company with a fast computer which is permanently connected to the Internet through a 'big pipe' (fast connection). This company then sells you the right to connect to its computer and use a part of its pipeline to the rest of the world. Once you have an Internet connection you can access any of the information on any one of the million computers connected to the net. You can also provide your own information for other people to access.

To get your computer to talk to your ISP's computer, you need a modem, which helps to translate your computer's digital signals into the telephone line's analogue signals, and you need software which will help your computer speak to other computers. You can buy a modem from any good computer store. Try and get one of the latest models for better speed and support. Some of the software you need may have come with your computer. Other pieces of software should be given to you by your ISP. Still others you can download (transfer to your computer) once you are connected.

Is that all?

In the next couple of pages, we explain how to find an ISP, how to use the Web, how to send e-mail, and how to transfer files across the Internet. These are the three main activities which people do on the Internet to start with. You can also read news groups, play computer games, chat online, have a video conference or use a phone to talk to people around the world.

You can find all of the essential Internet programs you need for your computer right here on this CD-ROM.

Next page: Choosing an ISP >>>